I’ll make this narrative short and sweet, folks, because the most important thing you need to do right now is try this recipe. I am in the middle of birthday week right now. Today’s portion of the week-long celebration of my 27 years on this earth consisted of a brunch with some very dear friends. I made these cinnamon rolls. They were adapted from a recipe I found on Beantown Baker’s blog and intended to follow to the letter…until I made the classic mistake of not checking to make sure we had all ingredients before baking. That sent me into a spiral of adjustments which then became a new recipe that I’m going to share with you and officially declare as the second original recipe towards meeting my goal. And they’re dairy free. Perfect.

Blackberry Cinnamon Rolls- makes 12

Rolls:

1 c almond milk

1 t apple cider vinegar

1/4 c vegetable oil

1/4 c agave

1 packet active dry yeast

2 1/4 c all purpose flour

1/4 heaping t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

2 c blackberries

1 T berry jam (I used loganberry. Yum.)

1 t cornstarch

1/8 c water

1 T cinnamon

Frosting:

3 oz dairy free cream cheese (I used Tofutti brand.)

2 T Earth Balance vegan butter

1 t vanilla

1/2 c powdered sugar

To make dough: Stir vinegar into almond milk. Let sit 10 minutes. Combine milk mixture, oil, and agave in a small saucepan and heat until warm, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool until just slightly warmer than lukewarm, add yeast and stir gently just until combined. Let sit for a few minutes to activate. Add 2 cups of flour and stir to combine. Cover loosely with towel and let rise approximately one hour. (I like to place bowl in oven with the oven light on for a bit of warmth.) While the dough is rising for this hour, make the filling. After the dough has risen, stir in remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until completely combined.
To make filling: Combine 1 c berries, jam, cornstarch, and water in small saucepan. Heat on medium stove, stirring constantly until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and let cool.

To assemble rolls: Roll dough out on floured surface in a rectangle until approximately 1/3 inch thick. Sprinkle cinnamon over top of the dough and then rub to evenly coat. Spread blackberry filling over the dough and sprinkle remaining berries evenly across. Starting with end farthest from you, roll the dough up towards you, pinching last part together to seal. Slice roll into 1 inch pieces and place in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Let sit for 1/2 hour. Bake 18-20 minutes at 375 degrees.

To make frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter together with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and continue to beat. Add powdered sugar in small amounts, beating in between additions, until frosting is desired consistency. After the rolls come out of the oven, dab a small amount of frosting on each roll and let melt. Feel free to swirl the frosting on top of each roll as it melts to insure adequate coverage.

I’m currently reflecting as to why I haven’t posted for a while. I’ve been busy, there has been plenty to update on, etc. I think sometimes the pressure of sharing in a public forum gets to me and I just like to reflect on my own for a while. Hopefully more thoughtful posts will begin flowing again soon. For now, a few photos from my favorite Thanksgiving weekend activities. It was a great weekend to spend with friends, skype with family, and SLEEP!